Report: Police Wiretapping Phones of KPK Officials

Corruption Eradication Commission chairman Abraham Samad said he was not bothered by allegations that the National Police had been wiretapping his telephone to keep an eye on his movements in regards to the antigraft agency’s investigation into the driving simulator scandal.

“I don’t mind,” Abraham said in the offices of the agency known as the KPK on Wednesday. “Go ahead and tap it.”

Abraham said that only God knew if the National Police were indeed wiretapping his phone.

Tempo magazine revealed in this week’s edition that a high-ranking police officer said that the police have been wiretapping the phones of KPK leaders in an effort to gain evidence of past misdeeds by the KPK chairman and his deputy.

The phones supposedly being wiretapped belong to Abraham and his deputy, Bambang Widjojanto.

The police officer claimed that the police wanted to know who among the KPK leaders were enthusiastic about investigating the driving simulator graft case that allegedly involved police generals. The officer claimed the police were looking for damning evidence to use as bargaining chips against the KPK leadership.

The officer added that the National Police are afraid that the KPK’s investigation could lead the organization to start digging into other similar violations committed by the National Police Traffic Corps.

Abraham vowed to fight corruption, even if he and his four deputies have to face the worst possible consequences.

Leaders of the antigraft organization “have surrendered our lives for this cause. We have prepared our bodies for wakaf [sacrificial legacy],” Samad said previously, indicating that they were ready to risk their lives as they battle the police to investigate the controversial graft case, which has caused at least Rp 100 billion ($10.6 million) in losses to the state treasury.